Conflict between residents of an upmarket Johannesburg suburb and owners of a luxury boutique hotel has put the licensing of different types of accommodation establishments in the spotlight.
Recently, the lines have begun to blur, and a recent example of this is The Munro Boutique Hotel, in Houghton, Johannesburg. An article published in the Rosebank/Killarney Gazette on December 21, alleges that the property is not operating according to the stipulations of its licence as a bed and breakfast.
The report alleges that the property is hosting big functions without the required licensing. “The owners of the hotel do not have zoning for a hotel, so they are operating illegally,” ward councillor Michelle Ravid was quoted as saying in the article.
Ravid had been reportedly contacted by the Upper Houghton Residents Association, which objected to alleged constant disturbance of the peace in the area. Resident complaints included not being told the property would be used as a hotel when renovations were completed in 2010, large functions with loud music that went on after midnight and a lack of signage.
Ravid reportedly requested the City of Johannesburg’s Department of Town Planning to register the hotel as an illegal business. However, a liquor licence has since been applied for.
Lyndsay Jackson of the Guest House Accommodation of South Africa (GHASA) said a B&B was within its rights to host big events such as weddings if it was situated in a residential area and if it complied with the following criteria:
•The property has sufficient parking facilities, so guests are not causing traffic inconvenience to neighbours
•Noise levels are within legal suburban requirements
•If alcohol is being served (even if it is complimentary), the B&B must have a liquor licence
She said that, in this instance, it was impossible for her to comment definitively without seeing the B&B’s municipal zoning certificate.
“Each municipality has its own by-laws relating to how they deal with the various accommodation establishments. We cannot give a blanket approach and say whether an establishment is breaking the law or not – it is dependent on the by-laws of that particular municipality,” asserts Eddy Khosa, Chairman of Fedhasa.
He says that the circumstances surrounding the event, i.e. the amount of people attending, adequate parking facilities and health and safety compliance, are other issues to take into account.
Despite attempts by Tourism Update to acquire a response, the hotel declined the opportunity to clarify the matter.
